I had the rare pleasure to see the Liberty quartet in Indiana this past Friday night. They very rarely ever make it to the Midwest as they are from the west coast. So, needless to say when I found out they would be 30 minutes from me I knew I had to go. Below is a breakdown of the night.

1. Wedding Music- Liberty opened with this cathedral classic. Royce Mitchell is without a doubt one of the bass singers I have heard… New tenor Phillip Batton also sounded superb on this one.

2. Its alright- This brass driven number was a hit with the crowd. It featured some impressive unison singing. Liberty is exceptionally strong in the ensemble.

3. Going Home- They sang this one a cappella. WOW is all I can say. People say you truly find out how good a group is when they can sing as good without soundtracks than with… Well liberty blew me away with this one, and proved they are one of the best quartets in the biz.

4. Climbing Higher and Higher- Lead singer Dan Gilbert turned in a strong lead vocal on this old cats song. That was some very nice quartet singing, Gilbert is a very talented leadsinger. Royce did a little tenor singing on this one which showed how much of a freak (I mean that in a good way) of nature he really is!

5. I Made It Mine- This song featuring Jordan Cragun is a touching song that Cragun sang very well. The harmony on the chorus was quite excellent.

6.Statue Of Liberty- This is one of my favorite songs of all time and Liberty sang it superbly. They had a marine join them on the song which made for a emotional moment especially since we just came through the tenth anniversary of 9/11.

7. Gods Been Faithful- This the title track of Liberty’s upcoming CD. It features Royce, and it has a nice feel to it, very easy listening. Their ending was excellent with Phillip Batton hitting some nice high notes.

8.Side by Side- this classic comedy song that George Younce made popular,about a man that married a woman with false teeth,a artificial leg and fake hair. It of course featured Royce. Needless to say, it drew plenty of laughs

9. Offering special – Phillip Batton and his brother played a trumpet duet, being a trumpet player myself I was excited. They did not disappoint . They played blessed assurance.

10. I’d like to say it again- Once again Royce Mitchell stood out on another former cathedrals song.

11. Glory To God In The Highest- I like Liberty’s take on this modern Christmas hit. Liberty has always been known for outstanding arrangements, and this is no exception.

12.I’m His- This is my favorite song by Liberty. Former tenor Keith Waggoner was the featured singer. New tenor Phillip Batton has a very similar voice to Keith’s so he did a fantastic job with this song. The lyrics are extremely encouraging and was a song I truly needed to hear on Friday night.

13. Glory To God In The Highest reprise- They ended the night on a great note, leaving the audience wanting more with this reprise.

Conclusion: The Liberty Quartet lived up to my expectations and then some. I had heard how good their concerts were from others that have seen them before; but now I can say just how good they are myself. Liberty is in my opinion one of the best quartets in Southern Gospel its just that not everyone has heard of them (at least in this part of the country and south). They also are lacking that breakthrough hit that could propel them to new heights in Southern Gospel. As long as they keep churning out the quality music that they are they will be fine. I would strongly recommend that if you get the chance to see these guys in concert you won’t walk away disappointed, they will make you laugh cry and feel blessed all in one concert experience. I for one can’t wait to see these guys on stage again.